SWAK to your cous'
by cjb1990
Summary: How do you react as a genius when the one person that protected you throughout your childhood is fighting for his life without a damn thing you can do about it? Inspired by The Reading Elf's "Blue Lights"
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR CRIMINAL MINDS. BOTH ARE SHOWS BELONGING TO CBS**

* * *

Abby and Ducky were looking at each other with horrified faces. They just got word from the blood work back. Tony was infected. Infect with Y-pestis, or better known as pneumonic plague. Abby forced her tears back and looked at Ducky.

"We need to call him," her voice betrayed the tears she was forcing back. "He would never forgive us if we didn't."

"You better go over there, my dear," Ducky replied. "You know him better than I do, I am afraid."

"Right," Abby nodded determined. She quickly grabbed her purse and long leather duster and made her way out of the building and into the car.

As she made her way over to her destination, she couldn't help but think about her best friend in a hospital bed, waiting for his lungs to start giving up on him. She shivered and forced her mind back onto the road. This was a task she could handle, she couldn't handle thinking about Tony or she'd fall apart.

Finally, she made her way over to the checkpoint. She grabbed her credentials and showed them to the guard.

"I'm here to see Dr. Reid in the BAU," she spoke to the guard. The guard was looking over her NCIS employment credentials with a practiced eye. He returned them and waved her onward.

She slipped past the reception area with a wave of her credentials. Thank god she had done a lot of forensics for the FBI, or she was sure that she would've been stopped ten times on the way up. As it were, her appearance didn't even raise an eyebrow anymore in the lobby.

Impatiently, she looked at the blinking numbers over the door in the elevator that indicated her slow progress up to the floor she needed. The doors opened with a bland ping, showing her the intricate maze that was the FBI inner floor plan.

Finally, she came into the area that the BAU team of SSA Hotchner occupied. She saw nobody there, to her great annoyance. She _knew_ they were here in town, as Tony had spoken with him on the phone in her lab this morning.

"Great!" she yelled frustrated. "Spencer Reid, get your ass down here _pronto_!"

A door on the balcony over her head opened and she saw the entire team peek out curiously. A lank man stepped out of the door and recognized the goth girl with some shock plain on his face.

"Abby?" he spoke her name as a myriad of questions.

And she couldn't hold it in anymore, tears started to cascade down her face. She couldn't contain the fear and helplessness that started to overwhelm her. The absolute horrible face of truth that Tony would most probably die, if Gibbs couldn't find the one behind this attack.

Suddenly, she felt a large slim hand on her arm and she looked up into the concerned face of a dark-skinned man. Derek Morgan, her mind supplied.

"Hey miss, are you okay?" his voice was warm and worried.

She shook her head wordlessly. "No, I'm not okay. Oh, Spence, it's Tony!"

Through the blur of her tears she could she Reid stiffen. Morgan half-turned to look at his friend, just like the rest of his team.

"Who's Tony?" the dark-haired woman with straight cut bangs asked Spencer. His supervisor demanded the answer to that question with a glare. The extravagant buxom blond looked worried.

Spencer ignored them all, his eyes locked on Abby. It was one of his nightmares realized. Abby coming to him with his name on her lips and her face as distraught as it was now.

"Miss, focus," Morgan implored as it was obvious Spencer could not utter a word in answer or question. "What's wrong."

Abby forced the words out, knowing Spencer needed to hear them. "This morning, SWAK letter. They were goofing around, Timmy and Tony. Tony opened it."

Her body shuddered with the full-on shivers as the horrible reality kept sinking in deeper.

"White powder," she whispered.

Spencer came back to at those last words. "Anthrax?" his voice croaked.

Abby wished it was so, it would be treatable at least. She shook her head, her pigtails flying wildly around her face, hitting Morgan in the chest.

"No, it was … she altered it genetically, no antibiotics, it's resistant now," she full on sobbed now.

Morgan realized that the girl, woman, still hadn't said what the powder was. No matter who Tony was to his pretty boy, it was obviously somebody important to him.

"What was the powder," he demanded in his best beat cop voice.

"Y-pestis," she breathed out.

Morgan didn't know what it was, but from the way Spencer's knees were wobbling and his face paling, pretty boy damn sure knew what it was.

"Plague?" Reid's voice was filled with desperate disbelief.

Morgan felt like he was hit in the stomach with a sack of brick. Plague? As in medieval epidemic that wiped out half of Europe?

"Genetically altered?" Reid's voice was now pleading the woman next to him to contradict him. But to no avail as the goth nodded the confirmation his friend was so obviously dreading.

Morgan felt relied as Hotchner took control of the situation.

"Miss, Reid, sit down before you two fall over," he directed.

Morgan gently guided the woman to his office chair. She fell on the seating heavily and the black leather duster fell around her. Morgan saw her clutch a leather wallet fiercely. He gently extracted it from her grip and handed it to Hotchner. Hotch flipped it open and saw it was her credentials for another federal agency, NCIS. With a flash he remembered Spencer's emergency contact person, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo from NCIS. He wordlessly showed it around the rest of the team.

Spencer sat down shakily at his own desk. Silence rule the BAU bull-pen, until Hotchner asked the question he knew Reid was struggling to ask.

"Do they know his chances?" Morgan could hear even Hotch had difficulty keeping his tone even. Everyone in the BAU was looking horror-stricken that someone, a fellow federal agent, was cut down in such a terrible bio attack.

Morgan looked at woman who tried to make herself as small as possible.

"Fifteen percent," her voice shook and broke. "I, Spence, we well I am going to-"

"Morgan get a car ready," Hotch ordered. "Drive Miss Sciuto and Reid to …"

"Bethesda," Abby answered, before jumping as her phone rang.

"Abby," she answered with trepidation.

Everyone could hear the terse voice on the other end.

"Abs, where are you?"

"Gibbs, I'm at Quantico," she answered, just as shakily.

"Why?" the voice, apparently named Gibbs, demanded.

"Spencer," she sobbed quietly.

Silence reigned on the other end, before;

"We need you back, Abs. The, well … We found the bitch but there's tons of evidence and if we don't-"

"I'll come back, Gibbs," the BAU was inclined to take a step back as they took in the force of the glare that took over the slim girl's face. "No way is that bitch walking freely by a broken chain of evidence or cross-contamination."

"That's my girl," the voice warmed a bit.

"Gibbs," Abby pleaded now.

"I know Abby," he sighed. "I'm heading down to the lab of the bio scientist who developed the strain. And he will give me the cure."

The BAU had to give it to the man on the other line, the deadly promise held a weight that none ever heard before.

"And Gibbs?" Abby asked, she heard the silence that was her answer. "Bring him back."

"Always, Abs," with those words they could hear the connection broke off.

"Right," Morgan spoke. "I'll drive pretty boy to the hospital."

"I'll go with you," JJ spoke quickly.

Spencer smiled shakily in gratitude at the two.

Emily stood up and nodded at Hotch.

"Why don't I take Abby back to NCIS?"

Hotch nodded his assent and promised he'd step by the hospital later to check on them.

Abby and Spencer hugged quickly but fiercely, before Emily stepped behind the wheel of Abby's hearse.

As one of the FBI SUV's made his way back to DC, Morgan asked the question.

"Who's Tony, Reid?" he asked softly.

Spencer rubbed his face roughly with his hand.

"My cousin and my best friend. And the only family I have that is still sane and alive."


	2. Chapter 2

**STILL DON'T OWN ANYTHING, WELL BESIDE THE STUFF THAT I DO OWN. WHICH THE TWO SHOWS ARE NOT ANY PART OF**

* * *

Morgan and JJ stared at the young genius, demanding full explanation. Reid sighed and buried his head in his hands.

"Oh no, Reid," JJ intervened. "You need to talk about this. Really."

Reid looked up and stared at her with hard eyes, shocking her with his fierce glare. "I really don't JJ. You just need to know, there is a difference. I need to get to the hospital, see him."

"Come on, Reid," Morgan replied, not taking his eyes off the road. "You can't expect us to be not curious. We never knew you had a cousin, let alone that he lived in DC or that he was a federal agent. So please, will you tell us about him?"

The pleading look he had in his eyes that Reid could see in the inside mirror made him cave. He knew Morgan and JJ were only concerned about him. But he had this irrational feeling that if they knew about Tony, he would be taken away from him. He shook his head, he was not one to cave to his irrational tendencies.

"Tony is my cousin from my father's side of the family. My mother was introduced to my father by his mother. They were friends ever since my mother had gone on a tour of literature, and met up with his mother back in England. His mother fell in love with this American Italian business man, and on her wedding day introduced her best friend to his family. My father was a first cousin to Anthony DiNozzo, and the rest is history. He always came over during breaks, especially after his eight birthday. He and his father don't talk anymore, so he always fled to the only sane house in the United States that had DiNozzo blood living under its roof, as he used to say."

Reid smiled involuntarily as he remembered the much repeated rants about DiNozzo insanity. He would be the first to acknowledge that his cousin could be called that. He took out his wallet and picked out a photo, handing it to JJ.

JJ took it and looked at it in shock. The picture was recent, judging by Reid's haircut. He was sitting at a random bar with a very good looking man who looked a couple of years older than him, dressed in a suit that would make Rossi drool. A big infectious grin was plastered all over the stranger's face, green eyes alight with mischief. And next to him was Reid, only this was a Reid she had never seen before. No indications of nervousness, but a relaxed smile sported on his face and a fresh beer with a shot glass in his hands. Looking closer, she saw the same characteristics come back a bit. The same form of the eyebrows, the way one corner of the mouth lifted a bit more than the other.

"When was this taken?" JJ surprised herself with the steadiness of her voice.

"October 28th, 2003,"Reid answered automatically. "It was to celebrate Tony's two year mark at NCIS. And he wanted to tell all about the mummy case they had caught in the days before."

"You're close?" Morgan asked, and couldn't help the little undertone of reluctance that crept into that question.

Reid lifted his eyebrow, clueing Morgan in that he had caught the tone but wasn't in the mood to immediately confront him about it.

"As you know," Reid started slowly. "I was not the most popular kid in high school. Now Tony, he was the perfect jock. Except that he really was more than that. One day when I was eight, the varsity team had a surprise for me. Only Tony also had a surprise by showing up out of nowhere. He took on half of the football team and won. Of course, his own coach ripped him a new one as he told me, but he also said it was totally worth it. Nobody messed with his little cousin, especially not some jocks," Reid agitatedly rubbed his brow. "He was the one that helped me clean out the house after I got my mother admitted. He stood there waiting against his car when I stepped out after they took her. I never told him about it, by that time he was working in Peoria as a cop. He just took a few personal days and drove from Peoria to Las Vegas to be there for me. He still checked up on me even during his time in Philadelphia and Baltimore."

"Hold on, hold on," Morgan cut in. "Are you telling me that your cousin is Detective Anthony DiNozzo?"

"Well, he was a detective for a while, but right now he is Senior Field Agent for the Major Crime Response Team at NCIS," Reid was confused.

"NO, no," Morgan cut in again. "I mean, he was Detective DiNozzo who worked Baltimore Vice and Homicide. The guy who went undercover and made the Macaluso case?"

"Oh," Reid blinked. "Yes, that was him."

"Damn," Morgan whistled lowly between his teeth. He had heard about that op and had been impressed. To be undercover in an Italian mob family for six months, to become like a son to the Head of the Famiglia, that took some skills. Every copper worth his salt had heard about that case and the young Detective DiNozzo who had been the uc agent.

"What is it Morgan?" JJ asked curious.

"His cousin is a bit of a legend, that's what. Every cop on the east knows about the Macaluso case. It was a big time mob boss in Baltimore. They had a young detective go undercover, and he was good. He was very good, got right into the inner circle, he was called family. He made the entire case in a six months op."

JJ stared at Morgan as he was practically gushing about Reid's cousin. "Be sure to ask him for an autograph or picture, Morgan."

Morgan glared at her in response, but didn't snark back at her as he caught the exit for Bethesda. Reid was silent in the back, before he started spouting off random facts about Tony.

"You know that there is not a movie in existence that Tony doesn't know anything about? He's a real movie buff. He's also the only one who's always there when I finish a degree. Afterwards he takes me out for dinner. The first time he was in college, and he was broke living only on an athletic scholarship. So he took me to this disgusting diner and celebrated with me over a dinner of a shared slice of apple pie."

JJ glanced at the genius in the back, who was looking lost. She hadn't known this morning that Spencer had someone who supported him unconditionally at all, now she could see that he didn't know how to survive if Tony DiNozzo wouldn't make it.

It was silent inside the car as it made its way around the parking lot. Morgan hadn't turn of the engine or Reid was out of the car making his way towards the entrance. JJ and Morgan had to scramble to catch up with him.

By the time they did catch up with him, he had already ferreted out where Tony was from the receptionist and on his way to the elevators. All three of them stepped into one, no one daring to speak at this moment.

The doors opened finally at the seventh floor. Reid made his way through the labyrinth of hospital hall ways, apparently having gotten the instructions from the receptionist down stairs. Two white doors with ominous warnings appeared at the end of the hall way. Spencer opened them without hesitation, Morgan and JJ following him ready to support their friend and colleague in any way.

Reid froze as he look at the visage in front of him. There was a big glass box, with blue UV-lights hanging in there. And on the bed closest to the door was Tony. With him was a female, wearing the same pyjamas as his cousin was wearing. She was also wearing mouth protection, clueing Reid in that she wasn't infected. He couldn't think anything else when his eyes fell on the fading figure of his once strong cousin, he didn't hear the exclamations of his team mates. He could only stand still now he was faced with a reality he refused to accept up until this very moment.

JJ and Morgan were shocked. They had seen the strong man in the picture, the man in the bed was only a mockery.

"O My God," JJ breathed, reality sinking in with her as well.

Tony DiNozzo was dying rather rapidly, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.


	3. Chapter 3

**NOT OWNING ANYTHING. PS CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NCIS PREMIERE!**

* * *

Prentiss was impressed by the little goth as she was working her way around her lab. It seemed to her that she did a job where the FBI forensics needed three man to work it. Not Abby Sciuto though. She had walked with the small woman through security, and hadn't missed the downward faces or the surprise as it registered that Abby was willingly walking around with a Fib, as they called her.

She hadn't been up to the bull-pen, following Abby to her lab. There she was greeted by an elderly man who told her to call him 'Ducky'. She had been charmed by the Scot and his immense vault of knowledge that could rival Spencer. She had looked to the small office that was attached at the back of the lab and saw someone working feverously behind a computer.

"Hi," Emily greeted the man.

McGee looked up and saw a beautiful woman in a business suit.

"Hi," he answered back. "No offense, but who are you?"

"Oh," she shook herself. "I'm SSA Emily Prentiss, I work with Reid."

"Reid?" McGee asked her.

"Tony's cousin, Tim," Abby yelled from above the microscope.

"Tony has a cousin that he speaks to?" McGee was shocked.

"Sure, Spencer's like his kid brother," Abby was amused by McGee's face.

"But, he never spoke of him," McGee stammered, still not able to comprehend that Tony had aspects of his life that he didn't share, as he shared too much with the team as it is.

"He doesn't share everything with you, Timmy," Abby shook her head. Tim was getting a bit condescending every now and then. It would do him well to remember that Tony had years of experience over him and that he was a master in veiling the most important parts of his life. Except to the bossman, Ducky and herself of course. They could always tell that something was brewing behind his easy smiles and bantering.

"Isn't it a bit too quiet here? I expected Road to Hell, or the Darkness Queens to play on maximum volume?" A beautiful woman in a very skin-tight red dress was standing in the door opening.

"Cassie!" Abby exclaimed, while running to her and giving her a massive hug.

"Hey Abs," she chuckled. "So what do we have?"

"Not anthrax, Cas, it's plague."

"Thank god, anthrax scares the hell out of me," Cassie confessed.

"Where is Jethro, Cassiopeia?" Ducky asked her.

"He stayed behind to question the scientist who was working on the strain, I escorted Hanna Lowell back to HQ, before she went berserk. I drove to MPD and got her in a nicely padded cell. I really don't care whatever she's trying to pull on me. Tony is in Bethesda fighting for his god damn life and I'm not about to go easy on the bitch."

"What do you mean, easy?" Prentiss asked Cassie.

"The bitch is the mother of a rape case we had four years ago. She demands we open the case again, believing we covered up for some midshipmen. She's dying, rather rapidly as she herself said. I really don't care if it is from lung cancer, blood problems or whatever, the bitch ain't walking free because of some health issues."

"You go, Cas!" Abs cheers the woman on her rant.

"So, now we have to wait until your boss gets the antidote from the scientist who created this particular form of pneumonic plague?" Prentiss asks everyone around her. "What if he doesn't get it?"

The rest of the people in the lab chuckled softly. Abby patted her arm. "Emily, you obviously never met Gibbs. He'll get it."

As if he was waiting on the cue, Gibbs stormed into the lab. Emily had to force herself to stand strong, as she was tempted to take a step back to escape the furious storm that was obviously Jethro Gibbs.

"Abby, tell me you can see if there is indeed a suicide string in the DNA of this thing?" he barked.

Abby turned to her computers and typed away as the plasma on the wall showed how she was looking for the DNA sequencing. She paled and typed again, refusing to believe what she saw.

"It, it was there Gibbs," she stammered. "I swear that I can clearly see that it's supposed to be there. But it looks like she took an unfinished one. One where the suicide string hasn't been inserted yet. That means-"

"That Tony will still have a hell of a fight," Gibbs finished grimly. "Let's go to the hospital."

Before they could even move one step, a tall man who oozed authority stepped into the lab. "Not so fast, Gibbs."

"Director," Gibbs nodded. "I really don't have time. We have finished our investigation, we know who is behind this. Now, I really want to be there for my SFA who is fighting for his life as we speak."

"Did you or did you not questioned a renowned scientist with a gun pointed at his forehead and a security guard in a head lock?" Morrow asked his best Team Lead.

"I did," Gibbs nodded carelessly.

Prentiss' mouth fell open. She now understood what everyone had been saying. He would get answers for Tony. The profiler in her had immediately spotted the helpless fury that cloaked the military man, it was almost like a father's care for his son. It was also clear that Gibbs was a nightmare for his boss, not caring about protocols or toeing the line. He clearly would do anything if it meant that Tony DiNozzo would survive this ordeal, even if it meant that it would cost him his job.

She saw how the rest of the people were rallying around Gibbs, in a silent show of loyalty and support. Well, if the man was risking everything he worked for to save his SFA's life, she could get how that would create unwavering loyalty under his people.

Morrow seemed to realize this as well. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You can never do things the easy way, can you agent Gibbs?" He asked, clearly not needing an answer to that question.

"Abby just confirmed it, sir. There was no suicide string in the plague that Tony inhaled," Gibbs reported to the man, not even bothering to defend himself.

Prentiss looked on as Morrow's jaw tightened. A quick glance confirmed that his fists had clenched as well, a big show of agitation for such a stoic man, she commented to herself.

"Go, Gibbs," he ordered. "You're on suspension until further notice."

Gibbs grinned and gave the man a nod, handing over his gun and badge without hesitation. Walking out of the lab, he was stopped by Morrow.

"Try ordering that boy not to die. He never disobeyed you yet."

Abby grinned and followed after Gibbs, a cue that made the rest of the team get in motion as well.

Prentiss quickened her step until she was walking beside Ducky. "I don't get it, why is he so happy he's suspended?"

Ducky looked at her with a warm smile. "My dear, isn't it obvious? He's suspended until further notice, making it possible for the man to be by Tony's side. I can assure that as soon as Tony is recovering, Gibbs will be giving the further notice."

Prentiss chuckled at that. It seemed that there was an undercurrent of signals and hints that made up the language spoken at NCIS. It was clear that the director had to take some action against Gibbs, considering the complaint that had been filed against him. But it was just as clear that Morrow had no inclination to create any trouble for the other man, instead turning it around so Gibbs was free to do as he pleased. She shook her head, she now understood the mixture of annoyance and awe that was shown as other agents spoke of NCIS. They were not an agency to be underestimated.


	4. Chapter 4

**STILL DON'T OWN THESE SHOWS OR CHARACTERS, UNFORTUNATELY...**

* * *

Spencer had scrubbed and sanitized in record time. Not bothering to wait or speak with the others, he made his way to the airlock doors. Here he was stopped by a doctor who was just stepping out, removing his mask to show a handsome face.

"Excuse me," the man who was just as tall as his cousin. "You cannot go in there, it is a contaminated area."

"You are?" Spencer asked.

"Dr. Brad Pitt, the doctor to this case, now I suggest you take your tourism elsewhere."

"Tourism?" Spencer echoed, getting worked up. "Doctor Pitt, my name is Doctor Spencer Reid. That man in there, lying on that bed, is my cousin. I am his medical proxy and power of attorney, in my absence that task goes on to Agent Gibbs. I have scrubbed myself completely, I'll wear a mask, but you can be sure that I will go and be with my cousin, doctor. And you try to stop me."

With those words, he slipped past the good doctor and slipped in the air vault. Waiting for the pressure to equalize with the air inside the box, he kept his eyes fixed on Tony. He was scared out of his wits. This was an enemy neither of them could defeat through their normal means.

The door to the inside opened with a hiss, and Spencer could catch the woman and Tony conversing, bantering. This must be Kate Todd.

"Teasing? It was pure torture!" the woman chuckled. "All the Travolta, and Harrison Ford and James Bond."

"James Bond is not an actor, Kate," Tony wheezed. "It's a character, played by Connery, Niven, Lazenby, Moore and Brosnan."

His cousin was overcome by a major coughing fit. To Spencer's horror he could see the blood appear on his lips, and when he cast an analyzing look over the rest of his body, it was clear he was cyanotic not being able to get enough oxygen in his body.

"Wow, you really must be dying if you forget Timothy Dalton, cousin," Spencer announced his presence.

Tony tried to shoot upright when he heard that voice, but was too weak and succumbed once again to the pain in his lungs. He laid in the bed gasping for air, spencer shooting at his side in an instant.

His eyes met Tony's and he could clearly read the panic, fear and worry in their green depths.

"Why are you here?" Tony whispered. "You shouldn't be in here, what if you get infected too?"

"I'm not leaving your side, Tony," Spencer answered his cousin. There was no way Tony was fighting this by himself.

"Kate, please get him out of here," Tony turned his head slowly, trying to convince his partner with his eyes.

"I can't I'm infected too, remember," Kate responded.

"No, you're not," Tony wheezed at the woman. He knew why she had said it at first, but he could not allow her to risk herself any longer. And his cousin, his kid brother, he should not be here. Should not have to witness this, this falling apart of his body.

"I told you, I'm not leaving you," Reid's voice was firm, the way he spoke when he was being head strong to the point of no evasion.

Tony sighed, closing his eyes, trying to swallow another coughing fit. He was feeling so tired, and weak.

"I don't want you to remember me this way. You need to see Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo," he whispered finally, implicating that what he already knew. That what others were trying to deny vehemently. He was dying. And he did not want the way he was now to be the image that would be scorched into his cousin's eyeballs. He needed to be able to recall them laughing and having a beer instead of this.

"I am not leaving, Tone! Get it, I don't care. I will not let you face this alone."

Tony turned to Kate. "You need to leave Kate. I'm ordering you to step out. Now!"

He tried to make his voice as firm as he had it in the field and Kate was being stubborn, but it came out as a shaky plea. To his wonder, Kate obeyed him, petting his hair one last time. He slowly fell into a light slumber, not being able to stay awake for long periods at this point.

"You must be Spencer Reid," Kate spoke softly, hoping her partner would get some most needed rest.

Spencer nodded jerkily, not taking his eyes of his cousin's face. "And you'd be his partner, Kate Todd."

Kate made a confirming noise. The rest of their conversation was put on hold when Dr. Pitt walked back into the box. With a few well-placed words, Kate found herself on the outside looking in. slowly, she removed the mask as she succumbed to the tears she so valiantly kept at bay all day. A shaky hand covered her mouth in a desperate attempt to choke the sobs that were escaping her throat.

A pair of strong hands on her shoulders made her jump. She turned around and saw a dark-skinned man that was built like a footballer and who had warm chocolate eyes.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" he asked her concerned.

"Who are you?" she demanded and saw the blonde woman behind him. "Both of you?"

"SSA Derek Morgan and Jeniffer Jereau, we work with Spencer and drove him here," JJ answered as she stepped closer.

"He's really sick, isn't he?" she nodded to the glass walls in front of them.

"He's dying," she could no longer suppress the tears and sobs, and Morgan quickly brought her into a hug.

"I know it's scary," he whispered. "But looks to me he isn't ready to die yet. He's fighting."

"You're right. You're right," she tried to calm herself. "I'm Special Agent Caitlin Todd. Tony is my partner at NCIS."

She curled into the warmth Derek's embrace gave her. "It's just, he's Tony DiNozzo, he survives everything and laughs in the face of danger, all the while annoying us all. For crying out loud, he has been chained to a serial killer and managed to get the upper hand."

Morgan brought the dark-haired NCIS agent closer to him in an effort to give her support. He couldn't bear to think how he would feel if one of his team was lying there. Especially since it seems the guy was one of those invincible and ever-present guys.

Being powerless isn't something law enforcement officers encounter all that often. There was always a course of action open to them. If they couldn't prevent a crime, they could hunt the one who committed the crime, in order to give a sense of justice to those hurt or left behind. They could find vindication in the scouring of a crime scene to find the piece of evidence that would break the case open. Or to be the listening ear that a victim needed to belief that people were batting for them.

To stand outside of a transparent box without any course of action open to them to make the situation any better for those involved was a paralyzing feeling. And as tears appeared on JJ's face, she realized that it was a feeling she didn't care for, not one bit.

Inside the box, Tony had awoken from his twenty minutes of reprieve the slumber had given him. He saw Spencer still at his bedside, watching the monitors like a hawk. As he breathed shallowly, he realized that his mouth and nose were now covered by a plastic mask that gave him pure oxygen, in an attempt to battle the progressing cyanosis, to have him attain as much oxygen as possible.

"You need … you need to call Aunt Dianne, Spence," Tony managed to speak. "I'd like to talk to her."

Spencer looked at his watch. 'She'll be sleeping now, Tone. You know the institution won't wake her, it would mess with her medication."

Tony nodded, taking Spencer on his word. He had lost any sense of time in this place, the only way he knew it passed was his shallow breathings and the heavy blood-choking coughing fits.

"Hey Spence," Tony coughed.

"Yeah?"

"You remember that summer when my car broke in the middle of the desert?" this was followed by a weak smirk, that pained Spencer in how it differed from the normal DiNozzo smirk.

"Of course I do, Tony. You had the brilliant idea to look for cacti to get something to drink and managed to slash open both of your arms on the needles," Spencer replied automatically, his memory never faltering. He then chuckled, he could clearly see in his mind how Tony had dances around trying to get the needles out of his wrist during his prompt rumba.

Tony' eyes softened as he looked upon his smiled cousin. He knew he was weakening fast, and his only concern was how the people he left behind would be coping. Spencer was his number one, closely followed by Gibbs and Abby and Ducky. His family.

"Spencer, please take Kate to get her some hot tea. She has been in this place for more than a day and I know she'll feel better by it."

Spencer looked at him, ready to protest, but the steely DiNozzo stare hadn't lost its power over his cousin yet.

"I'll hurry back, Tone," Spencer promised, before leaving isolation and taking Kate from Morgan.

Tony waited a few heartbeats, until he was absolutely sure that Spence and Kate had left for the cafeteria. He then turned to the nurse's desk. With some exertion he managed to signal Emma that she turned the intercom on. With a nod and a smile the sweet nurse did as he asked.

With another power struggle, he managed to turn his head to the two Fibs standing guard over him.

"Watch," Tony had to stop to let loose another bout of coughing. "Watch over the squirt, all of your team, okay? Or I'll swear I'll be haunting your ass until even Jennifer Love Hewitt would be committed to an institution."

He saw the two agents nod a promise, solemn looks on his face. He smiled, glad to know that his cousin's team had his back. Some relief flowed through his veins, Spencer would not remain alone after he was gone. His team would step up, he was sure.

He laid back, not noticing the steep decline his monitors were showing, or the way he seemed to flow away from his body as he was staring up at the blue UV-lights. He was vaguely aware of an alarm sounding around him as darkness swept over.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just a quick note to say thank you to all the positive feedback you gave me. It really is astonishing. I started this off as a quick pick-me up writing exercise and decided to publish it. trying to get familial interactions better. It grew out to be something more.**

**I STILL DON'T OWN THE SHOWS OR THEIR CHARACTERS**

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Morgan and JJ were watching silently as Spencer took his cousin's partner out of the room. The woman still had silent tears tracking her face, but didn't seem to notice or care. Spencer's face was scrunched up in an effort not to succumb to the fear and well of emotions that was threatening to burst out in screaming and crying. He needed to stay strong for his cousin, sure that if he would not put on an about face, Tony would be more focused on him than fighting this goddamned disease.

Morgan and JJ nodded to their friend, signaling they wouldn't leave Tony alone for one second. They turned back to look at the NCIS Agent, who was lying on his back gasping shallow breaths.

As they looked on, they could see him lifting his arm, making some signal to the on duty nurse. The nurse smiled and flipped a switch. A few seconds passed and Tony managed to turn his head to them.

"Watch," Tony had to stop to let loose another bout of coughing. "Watch over the squirt, all of your team, okay? Or I'll swear I'll be haunting your ass until even Jennifer Love Hewitt would be committed to an institution."

Morgan felt a lump appear in his throat. The look in the man's eyes told him he was dead serious. He mentally winced at his thoughts. But he could completely understand the sentiment. From the little Spencer had told them in the car ride over, the one thing Tony had always done in his life was looking out for his cousin. Derek was realistic enough to know that Tony would probably die. He'd be the same, probably; trying to make sure there are people to look out for those he cared about most.

JJ was outright crying as she nodded solemnly as answer to Tony's request. She took a shuddering breath, trying to stem the flow of tears. This was hitting her harder then she could have believed. The look in DiNozzo's eyes was cutting straight through her. She could tell that he was terrified of dying, something she had not seen when Spencer had been in the room with him. She remembered Derek telling in the car he was a master in undercover work, something she could completely understand now she could see the difference in even his eyes. Nothing of the strength and mischief he had managed during Spencer's stay was even remotely visible in them.

As they made their wordless promise, they saw a peaceful smile appear on his face. It was clear this was something that had sat heavy on his shoulders. Slowly, Tony's eyes were closing, his breathing became shallower and the alarms sounded blaring.

Derek uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, basically congealing himself with the glass separating him from the other agent. The nurse and doctor ran into the room, almost throwing themselves against the second set of doors in their haste to get to the man.

"Oh God," JJ breathed horrified.

They saw the two working feverously over Tony, injecting something in his IV and keeping an eye on the monitors almost demanding them to show results.

"It's not working, Emma peddles!" Dr. Pitt cried out.

She was next to him in an instant, divesting Tony from his shirt and putting the pads on his chest.

"Charge to 200," The doctor commanded.

"Clear!"

In the middle of the chaos, the two FBI agents didn't notice a whole contingent of people entering the room. They turned around as they heard the horrified gasp behind them. Abby had her hands clapped over her mouth, horrified to see her best friend lying on the bed like that. There was a whole melee of other people with them. They could see Prentiss had paled dramatically, as she took in the sight of the very sick man in the hospital bed. A young man with blue eyes and a rounded face looked on as if he couldn't belief what he was seeing.

On the left of them, was a group of two men and one woman. The woman, with tinted skin and wearing a tight dress, was gripping the ends of her hair as if she was ready to tear it out just to get a handle on the situation. There was a small, older man who was wearing a bowtie that looked particularly grave behind his glasses.

And then there was the last one. He was tall and his grey hair was styled into the typical marine buzz cut. His face was drawn in harsh lines, his lips nothing more than a horizontal line and his blue eyes fixated with burning intensity on the hospital bed before them. His hands were balled in fists, trying to stop himself from hitting something to make way for the desperate anger that was slowly taking over, accompanied with a bone-deep fear.

Abby threw herself at the man, who automatically drew her into his arms, still staring over the dark hair at his SFA in the bed.

"Gibbs, this can't be happening," Abby gasped as if the man could fix the situation at hand with his will power.

Emily had slowly made her way to her two colleagues. JJ tried to smile, but managed only a small twitch of the corner of her mouth in greeting.

"What happened," Emily demanded in a low whisper, trying not to interrupt the people who were waiting in fear. "And where's Reid?"

"He took Kate to the cafeteria for some coffee," Morgan answered her in a robotic tone. "Was glared into submission by his cousin."

The three couldn't stop their eyes turning to the chaos around the NCIS agent that was still not stable in his bed. The medical personnel was working feverously, hoping to stabilize the agent in the bed.

An agonizing five minutes later, the alarms stopped their blaring and the doctor stepped away from the bed, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead. The crisis was averted, for now. But it was clear that Tony's condition was deteriorating rapidly.

"You will not die," Gibbs whispered to no one. It was clear that it was to be an order, but somehow the man had resorted to begging.

Behind them, two familiar faces reentered the room. Reid paled as he saw the doctor walking out of the box with a grave expression, the nurse was looking like she was ready to burst out in tears. As he took a quick glance around him he saw Abby's tears and JJ's horrified frozen expression. He knew something had happened.

Then his eye fell on his cousin's boss. Never had he seen the man in such a state, not even when they thought that Tony had hurt himself severely after being tossed out of an airplane with an incompletely put-on parachute. This, more than anything, impressed on Spencer that Tony had come close, very close to dying.

"Gibbs?" he croaked, asking what happened to the man.

Gibbs, still embracing Abby, turned his head to see Tony's cousin standing there like a lost little puppy. He sighed, no matter how attached he had become to his SFA, like a son really, this must be much worse for Spencer Reid. The man who had always protected him, supported him, was now lying defenseless in a bed.

"We had a bit of a scare, Spence," he informed the man as gently as he could. "Tony was gone for a minute there."

Reid paled dramatically, and if not for Morgan he would surely sank through his knees on the spot. His mind was refusing to understand what was happening. Tony couldn't be dying, he would not leave him! Besides, Tony had always told him that if he'd die before his retirement, it would be in some cool move that involved explosions and all.

"What happened?" he asked once more.

It was Morgan who answered him. "Just after you and Agent Todd left, he was just slipping."

Reid knew his friend better than anyone, and knew that he was leaving something out. He looked over at JJ and saw that she wasn't meeting his eye, instead looking at his cousin on the other side of the glass.

"JJ?" he asked her.

She looked at him for a moment, before averting her gaze once more. Okay, now he knew for sure that something had happened in the moments before his cousin got in medical distress. He didn't speak, but kept on staring at her willing her with his eyes to tell him what had happened.

"He asked, no demanded really," she stammered, suddenly being the focus of everyone's attention. "That the team would look after you, he made some comment about Jennifer Love Hewitt if we didn't."

Abby snorted, breaking the tension. "Ghost Whisperer. Let me guess; if you wouldn't he would haunt your asses until even she couldn't handle it anymore."

Morgan and JJ nodded silently at her.

"Figures," she mumbled.

The silence was filled with quiet sobs of Cassie Yates and Kate. Gibbs was clenching his jaw, his hands curled into rigid fists.

"Like hell he is," he suddenly burst out and let go of Abby.

Before anyone could stop him, he had entered the room, grabbed a facial mask and made his way to his Agent.

The rest looked on as he bent over the bed so his mouth was at Tony's ear. He whispered something and they saw Tony move miniscule. To the upmost shock of the entire BAU, bar Spencer, Gibbs bopped Tony softly on the top of his head. They looked on as Tony's eyes opened. Gibbs raised his voice, and they could hear him.

"I said, you will not die. Got me?" Gibbs was using a soft version of his drill sergeant tone.

"I – I got you, boss," Tony managed to choke out.

"Good," he replied. "Now, I'm not going anywhere and Spence isn't going anywhere. Abby will have to be killed before anyone can move her. You will not let them, and me, down. Got it?"

"Got'ya boss."

And as they looked on, Gibbs grabbed a hand that was lying listlessly on the blanket and took it in his own.

The message was clear, Tony couldn't give up without having to deal with a severely pissed-off Leroy Jethro Gibbs.


End file.
